Savouring Tweed’s best food experiences sells out

FROM its opening event at Murwillumbah Markets with the Tweed Taste Trail to the Duranbah family finale at sunset, and 35 events in between, Savour the Tweed exceeded expectations with its second annual regional food festival last week.

Having recently won Best Festival/Event at the North Coast Tourism Awards for the inaugural event in 2024, the ambitious second program, with 10 additional events, generated 45 per cent more ticket sales than its debut.

 

Tweed Tourism Co. general manager Sally Scott said it had smashed the previous year’s results.

“Most events sold out, and we had 96 per cent ticket sales overall,” Scott said.

 

“While we’re still crunching the numbers, we saw guests travelling from Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney and beyond to gather with our local community to share a meal.”

The rich program had many highlights, including Movida’s Frank Camorra, with A Taste of Spain in The Tweed, as the guest chef at the intimate Bistro Livi in Murwillumbah for two nights, featuring a six-course Spanish-inspired tasting menu.

 

The Mediterranean Island Lunch at No. 35 in Cabarita, with Rob Costanzo, Massimo Scalas and Cork & Co’s Almitra McQuade, was a relaxed three-course lunch by the beach, with delicately worked, bold flavours of the Med and generous sprinklings of bottarga and personality.

 

In Walking Together at Ancora in Tweed Heads, with Bundjalung chef Mindy Woods and chef, author and festival co-curator Christine Manfield presented a moving dinner that blended First Nations and Indian food cultures with native ingredients, song and storytelling.

 

Overall, Manfield said there were high expectations for the festival in its second year.

“Every event excelled and proved to be a runaway success,” she said.

 

“We applaud the creative talent of our inspiring and diverse food and drink community in The Tweed – together we have established a new benchmark in excellence.”

 

The festival wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with the Caldera Celebrations at Plantation House, beside Tropical Fruit World at Duranbah.

Families and friends spread out across picnic rugs as children queued for free face painting and climbed the 120-year-old fig tree, while adults relaxed with Ink G&Ts and Earth Beers to the DJ’s laid-back tunes, and snacked on smoky meat skewers and indulgent lobster rolls from Salty Mangrove chef David Moyle and Farm & Co.

 

Scott said the community was already looking forward to the festival’s return.

“Guest feedback shows they’d love Savour the Tweed to be back next year,” she said.

“They’ve really connected with its intimate, boutique feel and the celebration of our local farms and producers.”